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sexual and reproductive health and rights

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Sexual and reproductive health and rights

Everyone should be able to make their own choices about their body, their health, and their sexuality

Access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is one of our main areas of focus. A large number of projects have been dedicated to this issue over the past 30 years. The Médecins du Monde international network is currently working in all regions of the world to improve access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and ensure that rights are upheld.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) concern fundamental aspects of a person’s life: their body, sexuality, health, emotional and sexual relationships, and choice of parenthood. As essential human rights, sexual and reproductive rights aim to promote independent living and free and consensual sexuality, without violence or discrimination. They are an essential condition for progress toward gender equality and the development of a more equitable and just society.

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SRHR

“Never forget that all it takes is a political, economic, or religious crisis for women's rights to be called into question.”

Simone de Beauvoir

Even today, not everyone is able to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. Millions of women and LGBTQI+ people still face discrimination that hinders their ability to fully enjoy their rights and access sexual and reproductive health services.

Lesbos, Greece | Médecins du Monde 2020 © Yiannis Yiannakopoulos

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Positioning, Strategy, and Interventions by Médecins du Monde

Defending sexual and reproductive rights and health

Through its work, Médecins du Monde advocates for access to sexual and reproductive rights and health for all in Switzerland and internationally, without discrimination, at every stage of people's lives, regardless of where they live, including in crisis situations.

A feminist society for a fairer society

A rights-based approach

Fighting against period poverty

Fighting for the rights of LGBTQI+ people

Defending the right to bodily autonomy

Fighting sexual and gender-based violence

A feminist society for a fairer society

A rights-based approach

Fighting against period poverty

Fighting for the rights of LGBTQI+ people

Defending the right to bodily autonomy

Fighting sexual and gender-based violence

Our struggles

Sexual and reproductive rights are constantly challenged and continue to face opposition. They lie at the heart of revisionist and conservative policies, which are gaining ground worldwide.
As fundamental human rights, MdM advocates for sexual and reproductive rights and health for everyone. This fight is part of a broader commitment to an intersectional feminist vision promoted by MdM.

OUR ACTIONS

My body my choice © reed-naliboff / unsplash

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EVERY 9 MINUTES, A WOMAN DIES FROM AN ILLEGAL ABORTION

EVERY 9 MINUTES A WOMAN DIES FROM AN ILLEGAL ABORTION

Access to contraception and safe abortion is a public health issue: the vast majority of women and girls, particularly in low-income countries and among vulnerable populations, have no control over their own sexual lives. Médecins du Monde actively supports the right of all individuals to have access to safe and effective contraception (including emergency contraception) to prevent unwanted pregnancies, and to safe and legal voluntary termination of pregnancy.

More than 40% of women worldwide live in a country where abortion is illegal.

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PROMOTING ACCESS TO SRHR IN CRISIS SITUATIONS AND COMBATING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Crisis situations destabilize health systems and exacerbate gender inequalities and socio-economic vulnerability factors, making it even more difficult to access high-quality SRHR services tailored to people's needs.

Often underestimated or trivialized, gender-based violence is nevertheless a violation of universal rights such as the right to life, security, and freedom from torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. As a medical organization, Médecins du Monde is committed to addressing SRHR needs and denouncing the violence experienced by populations in crisis situations.

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May 28: World Menstrual Hygiene Day

May 28 World Menstrual Hygiene Day

Every day, around the world, approximately 800 million people of reproductive age have their period: a universal biological reality, yet one that is surrounded by taboos and synonymous with increased vulnerability for many people. Menstruation is a matter of health, rights, dignity, equality, and safety.

Since 2014, the international community has dedicated May 28 to World Menstrual Hygiene Day. Its goal is to break the silence and combat the prohibitions, shame, and stigma associated with menstruation around the world. It is indeed necessary to make appropriate and safe protection and adequate sanitary facilities accessible so that people who menstruate can fully enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights and health, their right to dignity, health, water and sanitation, and education.

Illustration by Anna Wanda Gogusey

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sexual and reproductive health and rights

Everyone should be able to make their own choices about their body, their health, and their sexuality

“Never forget that all it takes is a political, economic, or religious crisis for women's rights to be called into question.”

Defending sexual and reproductive rights and health

A feminist society for a fairer society

A rights-based approach

Fighting against period poverty

Fighting for the rights of LGBTQI+ people

Defending the right to bodily autonomy

Fighting sexual and gender-based violence

A feminist society for a fairer society

A rights-based approach

Fighting against period poverty

Fighting for the rights of LGBTQI+ people

Defending the right to bodily autonomy

Fighting sexual and gender-based violence

Our struggles

OUR ACTIONS

EVERY 9 MINUTES A WOMAN DIES FROM AN ILLEGAL ABORTION

PROMOTING ACCESS TO SRHR IN CRISIS SITUATIONS AND COMBATING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

May 28 World Menstrual Hygiene Day

Here and there

Benin

Cameroon

Haiti

Mexico

Switzerland

Palestine

Ukraine

Reports & Publications

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